


The Forgotten Child

by Trigirl200



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2019-10-27 08:33:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17763392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trigirl200/pseuds/Trigirl200
Summary: By the end of their 3rd adventure, the danger seems to have passed for the guardians of light. But there is one person that never was recovered. Robin Letoha, a girl with abnormal powers who was taken by Xehanort as a test subject still wanders the worlds. While exploring the worlds Robin meets Sora, who is just as lost as she is. Together the two try to escape the darkness that has chained them, and rejoin their friends.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is mainly about Robin and goes back to her meeting Isa and Lea, so you might have some repeated info in the beginning. Sorry if it seems repetitive! Also, I definitely don't own the Kingdom Hearts story, just enjoy the story!

I always wondered where I came from. My earliest memories are of light flashing around me, like I was traveling through a bright passageway. I never really knew what that passage was, or how much I would miss it when it was gone. 

-Five years later-  
"Lea, hurry up! If we're late on the first day, I swear I'll murder you."  
"Cool it Isa, we still have five whole minutes to get to class."  
"Yeah, a class thats all the way across the castle?" Lea went a little pale.  
"Uh... didn't think of that one." Isa groaned. Of course he didn't think of that. With all the excitement of moving into the castle it was hard to remember they were here to go to school. The two boys sprinted into the hallways and dashed across the staircases, just barely sliding through the classroom doors as the bell rang. Lea sighed in relief.  
"There, what did I tell ya Isa? we had plenty of time!"  
"Oh sure, that exactly what you were saying as you sprinted up those stairs."  
"Hey, come on Isa. I'll never let ya down. Got it memorized?"  
"Sure Lea, whatever you say." The boys looked around the room. They were in one of the upper classrooms, so the view out the windows were fantastic. There were a few other students lounging around the classroom. As they approached the students they could hear what they were talking about.  
"Did you hear them last night?"  
"Come on man, stop trying to scare us."  
"No, I'm serious! down by the catacombs you can hear it every night!". Lea and Isa looked at each other in confusion.   
"Hey, what are you guys talking about?". All the students looked up. Finally one boy, with curly brown hair and grey eyes spoke up.  
"You two are new here right?" They nodded.  
"Well, there is a rumor going around that some of the experiments around here use human test subjects. Kyson here is convinced that you can hear the machines they use every night, but I can't say if it's true or not." Lea smirked.  
"Come on, is this some kind of hazing ritual?" Isa tried to smile. Of course that was it. There is no way Ansem the Wise would let that happen, right? Isa and Lea waited for the boys to agree with them, but everyone was silent.   
"Come on, it has to be a joke. Right Isa?" Lea looked to Isa, but even he looked slightly spooked.  
"Whatever, if it's that much of a mystery I'll check it out for myself. You'll come too, right Isa?" Isa flushed as all the boys stared up at him.   
"Um...I... well yeah. I guess someone has to keep you out of trouble." Lea breathed out in relief. He would never admit it, but he felt better knowing Isa would be with him. One of the boys with spiky blueish hair looked up at Lea.  
"Well... if your serious, I'll lead you to the entrance. But you guys are on your own after that!". Isa snorted.  
"Of course, we'll handle this".   
The rest of the day just seemed to blurr past. Before Isa knew it, it was the end of the day and almost lights out time. Isa flopped across his bed. Stupid Lea. It's only the first day and he already got us wrapped up in something like insane. He heard the door to their room swing open.  
"Isa ya ready to go?". Isa groaned.  
"Why do you always have to get us involved in these type of things?"  
"You know you would be bored without me!".  
"Yeah right, at least I wouldn't have to worry about getting kicked out of the academy." Isa swung to his feet.  
"Alright, if we are gonna do this lets just get it over with. I wanna go to sleep." Lea laughed.  
"Thats the spirit! Lets go!"  
Out in the hallway the strange blue haired boy was waiting anxiously. When he saw the two boys he tried to smile.  
"Hey you two. Uh... I guess you are really going through with this, huh?". Lea clapped his shoulder.  
"Well if I wasn't serious I would be asleep right now." The boy smiled.  
"I guess. I'm Ronen, by the way."   
"Cool, I'm Lea and this lump is Isa." Isa growled.  
" Come on. I'm already not happy about this, lets just hurry up." Ronen laughed nervously.  
"Heh, you got it." He led them down the darkened corridors to the lower floors. The lower the boys traveled, the more strange sounds they could hear. Some seemed natural; just the normal thumps from an old building. But soon they could hear a mechanical whirring, and muffled voices. Ronen ducked around a corner and stopped.  
"Okay look, there are always two professors standing in front of those doors, I don't know what goes on behind those doors." Lea smirked again. Oh no, Isa thought. Every time he gets that look things escalate.  
"Oh don't worry about us Ronny, I got a plan." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few smoke bombs." Isa smacked his forehead as Lea smirked even wider.  
"Just do us a favor and set off a few of these down the hall. We'll slip past them in the hall and break through." Ronen gulped, but he took the smoke bombs and ran off. Lea grinned at Isa.  
"Ya ready?". Isa groaned, but he nodded.  
"Let's just settle this."   
It was honestly amazing how flawless Lea's stupid plan worked. The guards, oops, "Professors" ran off as soon as they saw the smoke and the boys were able to slip through the doors without any issue. As soon as they were through the door, Lea could feel something was off. The tunnel was dark, with multicolored cables embedded in the walls. Strange hissing sounds echoed down the passageway, and the voices were closer.  
"sir, subject 02 is showing signs of snapping again."   
"Oh, so soon? Moniter her carefully until the episode happens." Lea looked at Isa in confusion. Episode? Snapping? what exactly was going on here? suddenly they heard a shuffling noise deep in one of the adjacent tunnels. Both the boys looked in that direction. The tunnel seemed darker than the other areas, and cool air was blowing out of it. Without thinking, Lea began to move towards the tunnel. He had to see if the professors really were using human like Ronen said; although at this point, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know. Almost in a trance he moved deeper into the darkness. All along the wall were cages. Thankfully he couldn't make out anybody crouched in the cages. He had almost reached the end of the tunnel when he heard it. He turned to Isa, who had followed him deeper into the tunnel. Lea could feel panic building up inside him. isa was right, this was stupid of him. They had dreamed of studying under Ansem the Wise for years, but now he didn't know what to think. What exactly was going on with these experiments? Part of Lea needed to know if what Ronen said was true; but the other half screamed for him to ignore what was happening and just go to bed. He was just about to suggest going back when they heard it. A tiny cough echoing from behind them; then a small voice spoke out.  
"Hello?"


	2. Light in the Dark

"Hello?"  
Lea couldn't help but yelp in shock. He whipped around to the farthest cage, deep in the corner. There, a pair of wide silver eyes looked up to the boys.Lea held his breath as he inched closer. Inside was a girl. She must have been around 14 or 15, but curled up inside the cage she seemed much smaller. She had white hair that fell across one eye and down her back. She was only in a white t-shirt and shorts despite the freezing temperature in the tunnel. She looked up at them, shivering, waiting to see what the strangers would do. Both the boys seemed to be frozen. Neither could fully grasp what they were seeing. Finally Isa snapped out of it. He stepped closer and tried to force a smile.  
"um...Hello." The girl studied them warily.  
"Your not one of the scientists. Who are you two?". Isa forced himself closer to the cage.  
"I'm Isa, and this here is Lea." Lea seemed like he was gradually coming to himself. He stepped boldly up to the cave and crouched in front of the girl.  
"The real question is who are you? what are you doing locked up like this?". The girl shrugged.  
"I'm Robin. I don't really understand how I ended up here, but I know I have been down here for a long time." Lea looked around.  
"Do you know anything about the tests they are trying to do down here?" Robin looked up in surprise.  
"It's the lead scientist, Xehanort. He wanted to study how my abilities worked." The boys looked at each other in shock.  
"Abilities? what do you mean?". Robin chuckled a bit.  
"Well there is a reason I'm in this cage. I'm a space manipulator, but that means I literally cannot stay in one place. It's like a currant, always pulling me to different worlds. One day I met Xehanort, and the next thing I knew I was in this cage." Isa frowned. He didn't even know that such a power could have existed.  
"I don't get it. How does this cage stop you from traveling. If your a space manipulator couldn't you just use your powers to escape?". Lea put his hands on his hips and stared down at Robin. She smiled slightly and held up her wrists. On each wrist and ankle, sat a heavy black cuff with odd wires and markings scattered across it.  
"See these cuffs? their magical disrupters. As long as these are strapped to me I can't use my powers." Hmm, well that complicates things, Lea thought. He didn't know exactly why Professor Xehanort was studying Robin's powers, but he was defiantly against human experiments. He crouched down in front of the cage, at eye level with Robin.  
"Robin, how long have you been down here?". For a moment Robin looked confused.  
"Um... I don't know. Time moves differently for me, but I think it has a long time since I saw the sun." Something inside both boys hearts seemed to drop. It was only the first day in their dream academy; this was defiantly not what they had expected to find. But despite their shock, both Lea and Isa knew that they couldn't just walk away after meeting Robin. Lea straightened up suddenly and clenched his fists.  
"Robin. I may not fully understand what is going on here, but I'm not just going to leave you down here. We'll get you out somehow!". Isa smiled beside Lea. Typical Lea, he thought, always rushing ahead. But this was one adventure Isa was happy to follow him on. He chuckled and slapped Lea's shoulder.  
"Don't worry Robin, I'm here to make sure this idiot doesn't screw things up to bad. You can count on us!". Robin stared at the boys in shock. She had never met anyone quite like these two in all her years spent trapped in this lab. She couldn't help the smile that lit up her face.  
"But... you don't even know me. Why would you risk it?". Her question seemed to surprise the boys.  
"Well, I guess we're supposed to say something noble now, right? But honestly, I don't like the idea of anyone sitting alone in the dark down here like this." Robin looked at Lea carefully. She didn't want to get her hopes up after so many years, but looking at the two strangers before her she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of excitement bubbling inside of her. She grinned brightly and stuck her thin hand through the bars of her cage.  
"I still think you guys are crazy. But I think this makes us friends!" Lea and Isa looked at each other and smiled, then Isa took her hand.  
"Yeah, I guess it does."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I messed up! I got Xehmnes and Xehanort mixed up, so if you noticed just know I meant Xehanort! Also I apologize of the shorter chapter! I just wanted to get this one out to explain things, but the next chapter will hopefully clear some things up about Robin. Also it will introduce another KH character, so stay tuned!


	3. Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter explains more about Robin and her abilities, and the beginning is supposed to be a data file. I hope it's not to confusing, and I will try to keep it light! Enjoy!

Subject 002: Robin Letoha

Subject was discovered in Traverse Town defending civilians from an attack from unknown creatures. Once discovered by lead scientist, Xehanort, she was taken back to the academy for further study. Subject appears to function as a normal human despite her supernatural abilities.

Age: 14. 11 upon entering the experimentation  
Appearance: Small for her age, white hair, silver eyes, and tannish skin  
Personality: fairly friendly; will often speak with scientist passing by, has developed a cynical sense of humor but remains largely predictable  
Abilities: Know as "space manipulation', subject is able to create pockets of reality under her control where she may store various objects and summon at will, or create "loopholes",in order to transport herself to a new location. Subject seems to be able to stay in one world for a limited amount of time before she is pulled to a new realm. This ability is unique because she seems to appear in different times as well as worlds.

Notices: While her powers are astounding, little is understood about their origin. The subject herself is unable to remember her past clearly but retains some memories from before entering the experiments. Through trial and error, a way was designed to prevent the subject from slipping to another world, although this method seems to cause considerable harm to the subjects body; even to the point of loosing consciousness for a few minutes. The subject appears to feel "tremors" before her body attempts to world travel, although she seems powerless to prevent herself from traveling. Eventually these 'tremors" grow in power until odd and unexplained blue runes gather around her. At the moment when her body should be traveling the subject feels the strongest amount of pain and must be heavily restrained to prevent any self-inflicted damage. For days afterwards, the subject will often be lethargic and constantly fatigued.

Closing: The exploration of the subjects abilities has opened the possibility of both advanced inter-dimensional travel and time travel. Progress has undoubtedly been slow, however our team seems to be on the brink of a remarkable discovery. For the time being, it is imperative to continue observing the subject, despite complaints of inhumanity. For the sake of the future, our work must continue.

 

Drip. Drip. Drip.  
Robin leaned back into her cell with a sigh. She never could figure out where that sound was coming from. At this point, she wouldn't be surprised to hear is was yet another factor placed here specifically to drive her insane. Trying to shift into a more comfortable position on the cold ground, Robin let her thoughts drift back to the strange boys she had met. She couldn't even remember the last time she spoke to anyone not in a lab coat. Lea and Isa had stayed by her cage talking to her for at least an hour before Isa had almost dragged Lea back up the hallway, mumbling about having school in the morning. She smiled slightly, remembering the goofy stories the two had told her about each other. Just as Robin had begun to relax, a familiar voice pierced the air.  
"Hey Ghost girl, hows the cage?" Robin lazily opened her eyes and gave a mocking smile.  
"Evan. What a pleasure to see you again." The blond scientist smirked in front of her.  
"Well, you know. I never miss a chance to visit my favorite guinea pig." Her fists clenched in rage, although she fought to keep her face expressionless.   
"I'm flattered. But shouldn't you be off playing with your little dolls or something?" Now it was the blonds turn to bite back his rage. He practically spat his next words out.  
"They are called replicas, and I'll have you know, they are going to be perfect. Maybe good enough to replace you one day." Robin smirked. Getting a reaction out of the man was basically the most interesting part of her day.  
"Please. I wouldn't wish this on even one of your creations." Evan's eyes almost shot fire.  
"Watch your words, girl. We don't necessarily need you alive to continue our work." A feeling of ice began to fill her chest as Robin glared back at Evan. As if she needed to be reminded of that fact. For a while, neither spoke. Finally Robin broke the silence by coldly asking:  
"What are you really doing her Evan? I'm guessing your not here just to provoke me." A cold smirk stole across his face.  
"Oh no. I'm here for the show." Robin's face scrunched in confusion.  
"Show? what do you mean?" She almost shivered at the cruel look on Evan's face.  
"Professor Xehanort personally invited me to watch your next little 'episode'". The icy feeling was back.  
"He said you have been having your tremors. I suppose it will only be a little longer till you snap, and I intend to be there when it does." For once Robin had no response. She hated this feeling. The utter hopelessness that was surrounding her, suffocating her. But Evan was right. Even now she was trying to hold back the shaking that accompanied the tremors. Her heart was screaming out to be set free, but the dreaded cuffs around her wrists and ankles were making that dream impossible. She watched in silence as even strode smugly from the tunnel.   
Another tremor swept through her body, stronger this time. Crap, she thought, that pompous jerk was right. Every minute that passed just brought a stronger tremor, growing more and more painful with every second. She curled into as tight of a ball as possible, trying not to cry out in pain. An irritating buzzing fill her ears, and she could just barely feel herself being lifted from her cage and carried down the tunnel. By this time the familiar blue runes had begun to circle her body, bringing a fresh wave of agony crashing down on her. This time she couldn't stop the cry that ripped from her throat. She was half aware of the doctors strapping her to the examination table and connecting various electrodes down her arms. She couldn't think, could barely breath, even her vision was beginning to fail her. Giving away to a blinding blue light. The last thing she remembered before her consciousness failed her was a long piercing scream echoing around her and the pain that lit every cell in her body. For just a moment, she felt nothing. Then all the pain and weariness flooded back into her body. With a gasp she collapsed to the floor. Wait.... the floor? Robin looked around in shock. This was not the laboratory. She couldn't remember ever seeing a place anything like this one. The room had white walls and a white floor, with a huge balcony with open doors extending right before her. Robin struggled to her feet, trying to stop the shaking that continued through her whole body. Bracing herself against one wall, the girl tried to step closer to the balcony doors. It was then that she heard an unfamiliar voice call out across the room.  
"Um... hey. Are you okay?"


	4. Sleep (2)

This was not the way Ven thought his day would go. Not that he had any huge plans, but the appearance of a strange girl took him completely by surprise. He had just been wandering down the seemingly endless hallways when he had heard an odd noise. turning around, he jolted in shock as a girl began to materialize from the air. She hadn't seemed very solid at first, more like a ghost than anything. But as seconds passed she grew more solid, and Ven found himself staring, transfixed, at the odd sight before him. The girl was small, and seemed very thin. Even from his distance he could make out the bags under her eyes, and the way her shoulders sagged from exhaustion. When she had fully solidified, her eyes snapped open, and she immediately fell with a short gasp. Ven took a few cautious steps towards the girl. He didn't know where she had appeared from, or who she might be. But there was something about her that told him she meant no harm. Gathering his courage, Ventus spoke:  
"Um...hey. Are you okay?". It was almost comical how quickly the girl had whipped around. She stared up at him with wide eyes, and her breathing slightly erratic. Ven held out his hands in front of him.  
"whoa, hey! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sneak up on you there!" The girl took a few steps back, but she seemed to be calming down.   
"Uh, no don't worry about it." The girl looked around the room before looking back at Ven.  
"I think it's my fault. I must look insane, appearing out of nowhere in your... uh... house?" The girl looked around in confusion at their surroundings; making Ven chuckle a bit.  
"Heh, no worries! This isn't my house." Ven glanced around. "To be honest, I don't really know what to call this place." The girls face scrunched in confusion. Ven scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before smiling up at the girl.  
"Hi, I'm Ventus. It's great to meet you." The girl smiled nervously before holding her hand out towards Ven.  
"I'm Robin, and sorry about randomly appearing here." The awkward layer between the two kids was beginning to fall away. Once again, Robin peered around the room.  
"So uh, what exactly is this place." Ven rubbed the back of his neck again.  
"That's a complicated question." Robin peered up at him in confusion.  
"To begin with, I don't even know if this is a real place. In reality, my body is asleep somewhere. I think this is just a place my mind goes to while my body sleeps."   
"Wait, so this isn't real?" Ven glanced at Robin. The girl suddenly seemed to sag, almost like she was seconds from falling over.   
"Whoa, are you okay?" She took a deep breath to steady herself, then nodded. She had hoped that she had somehow managed to escape the dark tunnels that held her; now all she could do was try to keep herself from collapsing from exhaustion.  
"I... yeah. I just hoped..." Ven was looking at her with concern and confusion but Robin quickly shook her head and tried to smile again.  
"You know what, just forget I said that. So this place doesn't exist?" Ven was still nervously glancing at his new companion, but he jumped on the topic change.  
"Uh right. I'm not sure exactly what this place is, but I assume some part of this is real." Smiling, Ven nudged Robin.   
" I'm pretty sure your not just my imagination." For the first time in what seemed like days, Robin gave a genuine smile. She nudged Ven back.  
"Heh, yeah, I guess your right."   
Robin and Ventus continued to explore the odd castle around them. For Ven, it was the first time in a while that he had been able to talk freely to anyone. For Robin, it was the first time that she had been able to walk around freely in years. It felt great to just be able to laugh with a new friend. But all to soon, Robin could feel herself begin to fade. Literally, she was fading out of the dream world. She turned to Ven with wide eyes and saw him looking back at her with a sad look on his face.   
"Sorry Ven, I think I'm waking up now. But don't worry, I'll find my way back here eventually!" Ven smiled.  
"I'll be here, I guess." Robin stuck her tongue out at him.  
"I promise, I will come back here as soon as possible. Then you can finish telling me about your silly key sword thing." Ven laughed and held out his pinky finger.  
"For the hundredth time, it's a Key Blade, and I'll be waiting for you here." Robin smiled, her image growing more transparent.  
"Bye Ven, I'll be back before you know it!" Ven watched her disappear, leaving him alone again.  
"Bye Robin."


	5. Shock

The lights seemed blinding as Robin opened her eyes. She groaned, everything hurt. She looked around her in confusion, the scientist were still moving quickly around her. In one corner she could see Xehanort and that jerk Evan studying some chart in the corner. She struggled to sit up, fighting the pain. A few scientist glanced at her in concern, but no one said anything. Robin let her head sink into her hands; around her, the scientist were whispering nervously.  
"...passed out for over an hour... symptoms may be..."  
"No!... how long till the...?"  
"Next snap should be...lost to much blood...not healthy..."   
A heavy hand clamped around her shoulder, making Robin jump. She looked up in surprise, then sighed.  
"Hey Luxu." The guard looked down at her with a smirk.  
"Hey kiddo, what's with that sigh?". Robin tried to smile, but she could barely focus. She tried to stand, but just then, her vision went spotty and she stumbled hard.  
"Watch it kid!", Luxu was basically holding Robin up at this point, but in that moment her head was pounding to hard for her to care. She could faintly hear Luxu yelling behind her, but she couldn't make out what he was trying to say.   
Luxu looked down in a panic. The tiny girl had passed out again, and was convulsing violently. Around him all the scientists seemed to be frozen. Uhg, Idiots. They had no idea how to deal with something unexpected like this. Xehanort and Evan finally looked up to where Luxu was struggling to hold up Robin, as if just noticing the situation. Finally, one of the assistants stepped forward and helped Luxu get Robin back on the examination table. The young boy flipped his long blue bangs out of his eyes as he prepared a syringe. As soon as the boy pushed the syringe into Robin's arm she stilled. Luxu stepped back in relief. He had been working with this experiment for years and he had never been happy with the way Xehanort conducted his lab; but this was were he drew the line. He strode down the hallway, heading right to the headmasters office. In the hall he passed two boys who were staring nervously down the hall. One of the boys had spiky red hair, and the other had longish blue hair. He could feel them staring after him as he walked away. When he reached the door he knocked sharply before throwing the door open. The room was brightly lit, with a huge desk in the middle of the room. Professor Ansem was sitting behind his desk, surrounded by papers. The man looked up as Luxu strode into the room.  
"Luxu, what a surprise. What can I do for you?" Luxu grit his teeth. He had nothing against the man, but he was in no mood to play polite.   
"Have you seen what your apprentice is doing down there?" Ansem looked a little surprised at his angry tone, but Luxu was past caring.  
"I assume you mean the tests surrounding subject 002." Luxu slammed his fist onto the desk.  
"She has a name." Ansem stared into his eyes calmly.  
"Yes Luxu, I am aware. The girl goes by Robin, does she not?". Stepping back, Luxu tried to rein in his anger. Ansem stood and walked to the window behind him, before speaking.  
"I agree that those tests tend to be somewhat alarming. But the data my apprentice has gathered has been remarkable. Don't you think that Robin can put up with a few more trials for the sake of the worlds?"   
"You just don't get it, do you?" Ansem turned in shock. Luxu was practically shaking with rage. "If you keep going with these test, your little guinea pig is going to die. If you bothered to check in once in awhile you would know that!" For a moment, Ansem looked to stunned to speak, then he answered in a steady voice.  
"Luxu. I assure you, I am aware of everything that goes on in my labs. You cannot fully understand what is at stake here, so I cannot ask for your understanding. But rest assured, that the moment I see fit to it, I will release the test subject and ensure that she remains safe and healthy."  
Luxu glared across the desk at the professor. He had never known Ansem to break a promise and there did not seem to be anything he could say.  
"Well you better act quick old man. Your subject wasn't looking to good just now." For the first time during the whole conversation, a worried look passed over the professors face.  
"Believe me Luxu, I know."   
Luxu left the room in a hurry. He didn't necessarily have anywhere to be, but he felt like he needed to keep moving. He practically stomped down the long hallways leading back down to the underground labs, when he noticed the two boys from before were still lingering in the hall. Scowling, Luxu marched up to them. The red-head looked mainly angry and a little worried, but his blue-haired friend seemed a little calmer. Lea had tensed as Luxu approached, but Isa, noticing the official guard uniform held him back. They had heard the strangled screams coming from the lab earlier. Basically the whole castle had heared them. However, only Lea and Isa really knew the source of those screams, and that made them even more worried. They had tried to get close to the door, but the place seemed even more heavily guarded than usual, meaning the two boys were stuck out in the hall with no way of getting information about Robin. When the angry-looking guard approached them, Lea was tempted to just ask him outright about Robin, but he figured that might make her situation even worse. Finally, the guard stopped right in front of the boys. Lea and Isa fixed bored looking expressions on their faces and stared at him blankly.  
"Just what do you two think your doing out here?" Lea smirked.  
"Well, seeing as how it is free time I don't see anything wrong with my buddy and I standing here." Luxu practically growled.  
"Come on, don't play dumb. I've seen to many stupid kids like you to not know what your trying to do." Lea could feel anger bubbling up inside him. Even Isa, who normally was so composed, had his fist tightened into fists. Lea leaned forward with his hands on his hips, mockingly.  
"Oh? and what would that be?" Luxu glared bitterly.  
"Your trying to meddle in something you don't understand. Heck, I'm not even sure I understand it all. My advice to you would be to shut up, and go back to your room before there's some real trouble." Suddenly, Isa seemed to snap.  
"That's our friend down there." Luxu had been starting to walk away; but as soon as he heard that he froze. He faced the blue-haired boy with and frosty glare.  
"We just need to know that she's okay." For a moment, no one said anything. Then Luxu started to walk away, speaking over his shoulder.  
"The little birdy is gonna be fine for now. But believe me, your better off not getting involved.   
Lea and Isa watched the guard march away from them. It was a relief to hear that Robin was okay, but neither boy could shake the awful feeling that had been following them all day. They agreed that they wanted to help Robin, but there didn't seem to be anything they could do. They had already tried to sneak down to see Robin, but the guards seemed to be on to them at this point. Lea in particular was especially anxious. They had promised to help Robin, even though she had warned them there was nothing they could do. After hearing her screams echoing through the castle, both boys could tell that she had been downplaying just how much the girl had been going through. Realizing that just made Lea even more determined to break her out of the lab, no matter what he had to do. No matter what the cost, Lea was going to give Robin her freedom, and he knew Isa would be right behind him.


	6. Intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xemnes finally get called out!

Xemnes couldn't remember the last time he had been summoned to Ansem's office. It had been years since he had even studied under the old man. However, here he was, striding down the deserted hallways towards the Headmasters tower. He knew what this was about. To be honest, he had expected this call to come long ago. A frown settled on his face as he stepped up the final flight of stairs. After all of the questionable experiments Ansem himself had conducted, Xemnes was annoyed that the old man chose now to now to grow a heart. He knocked quickly before pushing the door to the office open. The room was exactly how he remembered it. From the huge stacks of paper on the desk, to the dim lights floating around the room. For a moment, Xemnas felt like a child again, rushing in for a bit of advice from his master. Xemnas straightened his shoulders. He had come far from the foolish child he had once been. Ansem turned away from his bookshelf quickly in surprise. A brief look of annoyance flashed across his face before he motioned for his old student to sit down.  
"Xemnas. I think you know why you are here." Xemnas met his eyes with a slight smirk.  
"I have a vague idea." A frown appeared on Ansems face.  
"You have always been interested in the darkness. But I think this time you have finally crossed a line." The irritating smirk on his students face was growing.  
"Oh come on Sir, I have read your field guides. My work is just barely scratching the surface of what you have studied." Ansem felt himself grow cold at the mention of his past work. "Then you can take my word as someone who has experienced this first hand. You wont find what you are looking for by chasing the darkness." Xemnas' eyes went icy. " I wont allow you to continue such an experiment in my labs." Xemnas sat up with a fierce glare in his eyes.   
"With all due respect Sir, but why now? You never cared what went on in my lab before. Don't tell me you've finally grown soft." A heavy sigh escaped for Ansem's lips.  
"We can only outrun our heart for so long my boy." Xemnas slapped his fists on the desk and stood angrily. His old master stared him down steadily from his seat. With anger flashing in his eyes, the student spoke. "If your to soft to continue what you started then I will. All I need are a few more weeks and I will have cracked the code to time travel." Across the desk, Ansem's face was unreadable. He continued to watch Xemnas as he spoke.   
"With this technology we can see what really happened in the Great War. This is our chance to unlock the secrets of the heart! Do you really want to turn that down for some silly old sentiments?" Finally Ansem rose to his feet.  
"Some puzzles are left better unsolved." He stared coldly into his students eyes. "For now you may continue your research. But I will be monitoring your work closely, and if I see anything I feel goes to far I will shut down your lab without hesitation." Xemnas scoffed before turning and stalking out of the large office.   
With his blood boiling in rage, Xemnas strode down the halls. That ridiculous fool thought he understood what was going on. But in truth, he had no idea just how important this experiment was. Xemnas had learned more about the darkness and of the heart than the so called "Seeker of Darkness" could even imagine. He turned sharply into his labs, ignoring all of the scientist around him. Nothing else mattered if he couldn't figure out this girls powers. His destiny would be ruined. Without even realizing where he was going, he turned down the dark tunnel containing Subject 002's cage. If he was being honest, Xemnas hated coming down here. He knew perfectly well that what he was doing was, by all standards, evil. But according to his older self, this tiny girl was the key to everything. He glared down at the girl before him. The medics in the lab had finally cleared her to return to her cell, but the ghost-like figure was still unconscious. She was nestled into the corner, farthest away from the bars of her cage. As Xemnas continued to study the girl, he began to take in smaller details. She seemed to be shivering slightly and the protective runes around her wrist and ankles were constantly shifting colors as they suppressed her magic. She seemed to continuously be channeling the energy around her, just like a transformer on an electric circuit. With her pale hair and tiny build, it was hard to believe that she was capable of holding such strong energy, and yet here she was. Holding the secrets of space and time locked inside of her. With an irritated growl, Xemnas turned back to his lab. He was so wrapped up in his papers, he didn't even notice the uninvited visitors that slipped in to check on his test subject. 

 

It was hours after Xemnas left that Ansem finally found the time to visit the labs himself. He shuddered when he saw the dark tunnels with wires winding through the walls. He turned into the dark tunnel that he knew held the child. Carefully picking his way through the dark, he finally made it to the end of the tunnel, where a single panel of light flickered from the ceiling. The girl was sitting upright against the back wall of the cell, watching him suspiciously. Ansem had seen pictures and read the files on the girl, but that had not prepared him to actually meet the odd child. Luckily, he didn't have to scramble for words because the girl beat him to it. She spoke in a clear, slightly sarcastic voice that almost made Ansem jump in surprise.   
"I'm assuming that your not particularly supposed to be here, am I right?" Ansem blinked in surprise before a small smile slipped onto his face.  
"And just what gave you that idea?" The girl looked over at him almost lazily.  
"No one comes down here unless I am due for a check up. That and you look like your about to wet yourself told me everything I need to know." This time Ansem couldn't stop a little laugh from escaping him. He met the strange silvery eyes studying him intently.  
"I suppose you would be right. I am Ansem the Wise. Head researcher and owner of this academy." Robin's eyes widened in shock.   
"You...you own this place?" Her face immediately became guarded. Hmm, smart girl, he thought with a small smile.  
"Don't worry. You wont be here much longer, I promise." Once again, the girl was studying Ansem suspiciously. Finally, she shook her head a bit and stuck her hand through the bars towards Ansem. He looked at her in confusion before shaking her hand. She met his eyes with a bright smile.  
"I can't say I believe you, or even that I trust you. But If you want to try and get me out of here I won't complain." Ansem smile at her positive attitude.  
"Well then, I will do my best not to let you down." Muffled voices echoed from the main tunnel, making Ansem straighten up. He turned back to Robin with a smile.   
"we'll meet again, very soon." Robin smiled back with a nod.  
"I look forward to it" With a final smile, Ansem disappeared into the tunnel. Robin settled back into her cage uncomfortably. This had already been a weird day, but a visit from the headmaster of the academy was something that Robin hadn't even imagined. It felt like only minutes had passed before quiet whispers caught her attention again. She looked up at the mouth of the tunnel anxiously, but when she caught sight of a flash of bright red hair Robin sighed in relief. Her friends settled in front of her worriedly.  
"Lea! Isa! didn't think I would be seeing you guys so soon." Isa smiled slightly, but Robin could still see the worry in his eyes.   
"Robin, we heard you scream earlier." The reaction was immediate. The usual spark in Robin's eyes disappeared and she seemed to crumple upon herself. The dark shadows under her eyes suddenly seemed much deeper and the girl looked about ready to fall apart. She took a shakey breath and looked up.  
"You...you guys heard that?" Lea watched his friend, hating the helpless feeling welling up inside him. He grabbed her hand through the bars  
"Hey, it's okay. No one should have to go through this, but we'll get you out of here." Robin looked at him with tears in her eyes. Next to Lea, Isa nodded.  
" We already have a plan, all you need to do is hold on for a bit longer." Almost as if to divert the conversation, Lea suddenly brightened up.  
"Hey! I found something for you!" Robin watched curiously as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a long red ribbon. He handed it to her excitedly.  
"You always have your hair in your eyes, but now you can tie it back with this!" Robin choked out a smile.  
"Thanks you guys. I'm really glad I met you." Isa moved closer to the bars and took her other hand.  
"That's what friends are for. No matter what happens here, you can always remember that your friends are fighting for you!" Robin had to laugh at the serious expression on both her friends faces. They seemed to relax, seeing her finally getting back some of her usual pep.  
"Alright, enough of this depressing stuff! I believe you had to finish telling me about the time Lea challenged everyone he met to a duel!" Isa laughed at the reminder while Lea shrunk down in embarrassment.  
"Come on guys! How was I supposed to know that guy was a Ti Chi master?!!" The three teenagers laughed, and for the first time that day Robin felt herself really begin to smile. It had been so long since she had been around people, but now she had three new friends and a possible hope of escape! For maybe the first time in years, Robin finally had something to hope for; all she had to do was tough it out till then.


	7. The Timebreaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crap hits the fan. Hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may be slightly disturbing if you are sensitive to description of blood or pain. If that kind of thing is difficult for you to read, you may want to skip ahead a little bit!

It turns out that staying tough was a lot harder than Robin had expected. Her day started off being woken up around three in the morning. That in itself should have been a warning that something was off. She was led down the passageways by two of the lab apprentices. Neither one spoke as they escorted her to the wide, circular room where most of the experiments were conducted. The setting of the room had definitely changed a lot from when Robin had last been in the lab. Instead of the usual medical counters and stacks of field guides in the corner, the room was mostly empty. The medical table and equipment had been replaced by a large circle of silvery runes etched into the floor. At three points around the outside of the circle were large tesla coils, with a large generator linked up to all of the coils by thin wires. By now, Robin was getting a sick feeling in her stomach. Something about the runes in front of her put her on edge, even though she could tell what they symbolized.  
The moment Robin entered the room, everyone fell silent. She looked around nervously. Everyone in the lab was staring at her; some with pity, others with a cold, blank stare. Across the room, Xemnas straightened up and fixed a smug smile on his face.  
"Welcome, Subject 002. We have been expecting you." An uneasy frown settled on Robin's face.  
""Right, because thats supposed to make me feel better." One of the apprentices snorted in the back, making Robin smile slightly. She straightened up, with her hands on her hips.  
"Listen, I don't know whats going on here, but if we could hurry this along that would be great. I have a busy schedule full of staring at the wall and contemplating my existence." Xemnas let an irritated sigh escape him.  
"Oh don't worry. If all goes well with this experiment we may no longer need you." At his words, Robin paled and went back to glaring daggers at the man. Xemnas smirk and turned back to the lab workers, barking quick orders at the people around him. For a moment Robin stayed silent, watching the workers moving around quickly, setting up the final pieces of equipment. Finally Xemnas turned back to Robin, speaking to the scientist on either side of her.  
"Get her into the circle. We don't have much time to complete this trial." The scientists nodded and tried to push Robin towards the circle, but Robin resisted.  
"Hold up! Can someone please explain what is going on here?" Xemnas turned back to Robin with a smirk.  
" It might be considered a mercy if you don't understand what we have planned." The frown returned as Robin was shoved roughly into the ring and pushed onto her knee's. Another young apprentice appeared by her side, shackling her wrists to the ground. She met the boys curious gaze with a terrified expression. He couldn't have been much older than she was, with blueish grey hair that hung in spikes over one eye. When he noticed her gaze he quickly looked away, dropping his head and hurry off to another corner of the lab. Robin's gaze swung back to Xemnas as he moved over to the generator, quickly tapping a few buttons that sent the machine buzzing.  
"What are you doing? How does this relate to my abilities?" Xemnas looked over at the girl. He could tell she was trying not to let her fear show, but her face had gone white and her lips were trembling slightly.  
"Well, if your sure you want to know, I suppose I can tell you." Robin's face hardened, but she stayed silent, studying the man before her.  
"As far as we can tell, your abilities feed off of energy around you. Ever since you entered our labs you have not been able to channel the same amounts of energy that you would have been exposed to if you were free. I intend to flood your systems with magical energy to test the extent you are able to channel and see how it effects the reality around you." This time Robin did not try to mask the fear on her face.  
"Your crazy! You have no idea how this could effect the castle above us! What about everyone down here? What if they get hurt?" Xemnas let out a harsh laugh.  
" Are you not more worried about yourself? I must say, you are either more brave, or more stupid than I thought you were." Robin almost growled, yanking at the chains holding her in place.  
"I don't understand what you are hoping to learn by doing this, but it's not worth the risk!" With another laugh, Xemnas turned back to the machine, punching in the final instructions. The generator began to glow a brilliant white, the wires shooting off sparks as they carried the force towards the large coils. Xemnas turned back to Robin briefly.  
"That is where you are wrong. My future, and the future of the light depends on this moment."  
Before Robin could open her mouth to respond, she was hit with a blast from all three coils. For an instant, she felt great. The power flowing into her felt almost familiar, with the warm, beckoning light filling her completely. However, that warmth quickly became scorching. Her insides felt like they were boiling and a huge pressure closed in around her. She looked up in panic, only to see Xemnas turning up the pressure on the coils. The energy instantly overwhelmed her, with her body frantically trying to store all of the energy. Robin fell forward, her screams lost in the fierce whir of the generator. The pressure built around her until she could fell blood begin to run from her nose and ears. She couldn't hear anything anymore and she crumpled forwards, trying to hold herself up with her arms. While Robin couldn't see it herself, there was something much more strange appearing around her. The runes on her wrists and ankles, still suppressing her magic, where glowing a bright blue. The very air around Robin seemed to be wavering and huge surges of power were passing into the area around the girl. The floor shook as another massive surge flowed through her. Blurs of color lit the air around Robin, constantly shifting their shape and color. Shadowy figures seemed to step from the streaks of color as the whole building rocked from the force of the magic energy being forced out of the rune circle. Xemnas gasped.  
"These figures! They are glimpses of another time!" Sure enough, the shadowy outlines had formed into people. They drifted through the room, oblivious to the baffled scientists around them. In one figure, a boy with spiky brown hair brandished a large key shaped blade against an army of dark figures. Another figure showed a hooded silhouette gazing up at a heart-shaped moon. Another tortured scream from Robin brought his attention back down to Robin. The small girl had colored lines running up her arms and she was shaking uncontrollably. Her eyes snapped open, revealing that they had turned a brilliant blue, pulsing with magical energy. Suddenly, the door to the lab burst open. Ansem the Wise, followed closely by Luxu, rushed into the room. Before anyone could stop him, the elderly man had shut off the power to the machine, cutting off the flow of uncontrolled power. Robin immediately slumped forward, unmoving in the center of the floor. Luxu rushed towards her side, quickly snapping off her shackles and lifting her off of the floor. Ansem turned to the room full of scientist, with the blood drained from his face.  
"I warned you what would happen if you continued with this cruelty. I am confiscating all of your research, and I am shutting down all activity in these labs. I want all of you to leave this academy immediately, and never return." Xemnas stepped forward from the group of scientists.  
"I have no issue leaving your ridiculous little lab, but I'm afraid you cannot seize my work." Xemnas met his old master's steely gaze. "You see, I've finally seen the truth. I understand exactly how to complete my destiny. I suppose you could say, my work here is done." He turned towards the door, speaking over his shoulder.  
"You can keep the girl, for now. Hide her away in one of your little puzzles; I'll be back for her when the time comes."  
Without another backwards glance, Xemnes swept out of the room, disappearing from the academy without a trace. Luxu growled, turning to Ansem.  
"I told you what would happen! Are you really just going to let him leave like this?" Ansem fixed a sharp look over the angry man.  
"At the moment I am slightly more concerned with the welfare of you little friend." Luxu looked down sheepishly at the girl in his arms. Her breathing was ragged and Luxu had never seen anyone so pale. The girl really looked like a tiny bird, fast asleep in his arms.  
"Your right. What do you plan on doing now?" Ansem started for the door.  
"Follow me, I intend to take her far away from all of this."  
Luxu followed Ansem out of the dark tunnels and up multiple stairways. Down one hall he thought he caught a glimpse of the two boys he had met earlier, but as he turned another corner he decided it was just his imagination. He followed Ansem into a brightly lit room at the very top of the tower. Inside the room, he placed Robin on the small bed in the corner and stepped back to let Ansem do a closer examination on the girl. After a few mumbled spells, some color began returning to her face and her breathing evened out gradually. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Ansem stepped back.  
"There. That is the best I can do for her now." The man turned to the doorway to leave.  
"Hold on! Where do you think you are going? What are we going to do with her now?" Ansem turned, with a tired look on his face.  
"I know exactly where to keep her safe. I am going now to prepare a gateway for her to escape. You stay here and look after her. There is little we can do for her while she is asleep." He turned back to look at the girl with a soft expression on his face. "For now, let her rest. She'll need it where she is going."  
With those final words, Ansem the Wise left the room. Leaving Luxu standing guard over his friend. Robin continued to sleep. Her mind travelling miles away from her present circumstances.


	8. The Hole within the Worlds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are finally starting to fall into place people!

When Robin opened her eyes, she found herself, once again, in the odd white halls of the dreamworld. A familiar voice sounded happily next to her.   
"Robin! I wasn't expecting to see you here so soon!" Robin turned towards her friend with a smile.  
"Ven! I can't say I was expecting to be here so soon either." Ven met her eyes with a grin.  
"Either way, I'm glad to see you again. It was getting a little boring around here." Robin laughed as Ven and her walked down the hall together.  
"Hey! you still need finish telling me about that key sword-thing." Ven huffed in mock frustration before turning to Robin with a smile.  
"How many times do I have to tell you! It's the Keyblade! You know, it's only one of the most powerful weapons in the world." Robin smirked and lightly punched his arm.  
"Oh, so no big deal, right?". Ven laughed.  
"You know Robs, I can sense that you have the power to wield a Keyblade as well." She looked over at Ven in curiosity.   
"What do you mean?" Ven crossed his hands behind his head.  
"It's hard to explain it, but only certain people have the ability to wield a Keyblade." Ven turned to see Robin still watching him seriously. "For most people, that power lays dormant. But I can show you how to summon yours if you want to learn?" Robin looked at him with wide eyes.  
"You... you mean, I can summon my own sword like what you do?" He nodded excitedly!  
"Look, it's easy!" Ven extended his hand in front of him, summoning his blade in a burst of light. Robin turned towards Ven with wide eyes.  
"You can teach me that?" Ven nodded happily.   
"Of course! we can start right now if you want!" Robin hopped up and down excitedly.  
"Heck yes! What do yo think my blade will look like?"   
"It varies for everyone, so your blade will be a reflection of your personality." Robin settled back on her heels, looking deep in thought.   
"So, what do I have to do to summon the blade?" Ventus snapped to attention at her words, bouncing excitedly on his toes.  
"Alright, first you have to clear your mind. focus on what makes up your personality. Your favorite memory, the challenges you've faced, the people closest to you." Robin closed her eyes and tried to focus on what Ven was saying. Clearing her mind was a lot tougher than Robin had thought it would be, and as for a favorite memory, Robin didn't even remember who she had been before she was captured. She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to calm down. It wouldn't help her to get stuck on things she didn't have. Scrunching her face in concentration, She extended her hand, waiting to feel the weight of a blade appear. But the weight never came. She opened her eyes, frowning in disappointment. Ven noticed her expression and clapped a hand over her shoulder.  
"Hey, don't worry! It took me almost a week just to be able to summon a shadow of my blade!" Robin smiled softly.  
"I guess you'r right. When I need it, I have a feeling my Keyblade will come to me." Ven grinned and laughed at her response.  
"That's the spirit! You just gotta stay focused and keep trying!" Robin laughed along with him before turning away to survey the room they were in. It was a large room, with a high ceiling. There was a large white couch in the center of the room and a large balcony was directly in front of them. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a large pile of board games tucked away in a corner.  
"Hey, I challenge you to literally anyone of those games over there." Ven followed her gaze to the pile of games in the corner. He turned back to her with a slight smirk.  
"Whoa, I don't know if you know what you are getting yourself into here. I have literally nothing better to do than play those games, so I think you can consider me a master at this point." Robin laughed at him.  
"Alright then, 'master', lets see what you can do!"   
Robin was having a great time with her friend again; but all to quickly, Robin could feel herself being pulled from the dreamworld. Her hand froze over the antique chessboard where she had been about to move her piece. She looked up to see Ven staring sadly back at her. Robin pulled together a small smile.  
"I think I'm waking up now. Are you going to be okay here?" Ven nodded.  
"Of course, you don't have to worry about me." A moment of silence fell over them before Ven spoke up again.  
"This sounds silly, but for some reason I feel like this is the last time I will see you here." Robin looked at him in surprise.  
"So you feel it too, huh?" Both teenagers looked at each other sadly for a moment before Robin spoke again.  
"Let's make a promise." Ven looked at her curiously.  
"A promise?" Robin nodded excitedly.  
"If you wake up before I find my way to you, you will look for me, and if I get free I promise to find the real you, where ever that may be!" Ven grinned and shook her hand.  
"Sounds like a deal!" Robin let out a small smile and pulled him in for a hug.  
"We'll meet again, Ven. I promise." With those final words, Robin faded away, leaving Ven alone in the dreamworld again.

Robin opened her eyes to an unfamiliar room with her head pounding. She sat straight up, startling Luxu out of his daze next to her.  
"Whoa, kiddo. It's okay, your safe now." Robin turned to him with wide eyes. She was in a small, homely looking room with a large window overlooking the academy grounds. She turned back to Luxu in confusion.  
"Luxu? Where are we? How did we get here?" Suddenly, everything from before came pouring back to her. She looked around in a panic. "What happened with the experiment? Is everyone okay down there?" Luxu snorted in annoyance.  
"Of course you would be more worried about those bastards down there than yourself." Robin winced slightly at his words.  
"Come on Luxu, I just need to know if everyone is okay." The irritated man's face softened slightly.  
"Fine. If you really wanna know, everyone is fine. Ansem fired everyone in the lab, but they are all uninjured." The girl breathed a sigh of relief.  
"Thank goodness. For a while there I thought that experiment was going to bring down the whole castle." Luxu studied her carefully. How could someone who had almost been killed less than an hour ago, be more worried about the people torturing her than herself? Finally he sighed and stood up.   
"The headmaster wanted to speak to you. We should head down to his office." Robin nodded and followed Luxu down the staircase to Ansem's office. He knocked loudly before entering the room. Ansem turned towards the doorway, smiling when he saw the two enter.  
"Welcome my dear. I hope you have recovered a bit from before?" Robin eyed him nervously. To be honest, she had no idea what to think of this man. On one hand, he had kept his word and gotten her away from that cursed lab; but there was something about him that made Robin question if he had ulterior motives.   
"Yeah, thank you for getting me out of that lab. I don't know how things might have turned out if that experiment had continued any longer." Ansem stared her straight in the face before answering calmly.  
"Oh you would have died for sure. Your brain and organs would have ruptured from the strain, and then the shock wave would have collapsed the foundations of the castle." Robin gulped, her face suddenly pale.  
"Uh... right. Well on that happy note, Luxu said you needed to talk to me?" Luxu snorted, badly trying to disguise his laughter at her response.  
"Yes of course. Luxu, I suggest you say your goodbyes now. I will be sending Robin to a secure location as soon as we are done here." Both Robin and Luxu looked at him in surprise, but Luxu quickly nodded. He stood up, ruffling Robin's unruly hair.  
"Well kiddo, I'm glad I got to meet you." Robin stood up and surprised Luxu by pulling him into a tight hug.  
"Thank you Luxu. For everything." He pulled back and looked away in embarrassment.   
"It was nothing any decent person wouldn'ta done." He turned towards the door, turning back to give Robin one more smile."Take care of yourself kid."  
With Luxu gone, Ansem turned back to Robin with a serious face. She stared back at him curiously.  
"Now I know you are wondering what exactly going to happen to you now, right?" Robin smirked slightly.  
"Well, the thought did cross my mind."Ansem gave a slight chuckle from across the table.  
"When Xehanort left the lab he claimed that he would be back to collect you when the time was right." Robin felt a slight frown cross her face, but stayed silent. "We can't know for sure if Xehanort ment what he said, but I can't help but believe him. Because of this threat, I intend to place you in a area where no one would ever be able to follow you." Robin looked up in confusion at the man.  
"But where? No place is untraceable. And besides, how would I ever be able to find my way back here?" Ansem stood and made his way to the door.  
"Follow me, I will explain on the way." Robin huffed in exasperation, mumbling under her breath.  
"Uh-huh, because explaining things like a normal person is way to anti-climatic." She stomped down the hall irritably. Ansem gave a tiny smile before continuing.  
"You know that there are multiple worlds that exist in the universe, correct?" Robin gave him a slight glare.  
"Of course, thats sorta how my powers operate." Ansem chuckled at her attitude.  
"Right, well then you know that worlds can be lost." She looked at him in confusion, but did not interrupt.  
"Lately, the darkness of the worlds has been on the rise. In this past week alone, six worlds have been lost to the dark forces." He looked at Robin, who's face was scrunched up in confusion again.  
"These worlds have been transported to a plane that is untraceable from the outside." Now a spark of understanding flashed through Robin's eyes.  
"I can't say that these worlds are secure, but I have discovered a way to open a single portal into these worlds. Once you are inside this alternate plane, you will be able to use your powers freely; however, until you help each world find a way back to the light, you will be trapped within those worlds in the separate plane." Robin shook her head.  
"So what you'r telling me is that you are going to send me to an alternate plane where no one will be able to track me, and I will be stuck there until I magically restore every flippin world back to this plane?" Ansem looked at her with wide eyes. Her eyes were wide and her fists were clenched at her sides.  
"Uh...yes?" Robin let out a laugh.  
"Great! Fan-fricken-tastic! my only option at freedom is to trap myself in a world of total darkness. Sounds like a total blast. Really, thanks for that one buddy." She stomped forwards, but she stopped when she realized that Ansem was not behind her. She turned to see him studying her seriously.  
"Robin. I know this sounds insane." She snorted, but he continued speaking. "But these worlds need someone to show them the light again. I hate to force you into this, but only you are capable of getting into the planes and escaping safely." Robin faced him with her hands on her hips.  
"I understand what you are saying, I really do. But I wouldn't even know where to begin helping these worlds! I can't remember my life before coming to this lab, how can I lead entire worlds to the light if I don't even know how to find it myself?" Ansem looked down at the ground shaking his head.  
"You might not realize it, but you have been touching people's hearts ever since you came here. You are a force for light, weather you see it or not. All you have to do it let your heart be your guiding key." Robin snorted again, but the harsh expression had faded from her face. She smiled slightly at Ansem.  
"What did you get that from? A cheesy greeting card?" Ansem laughed and made his way down the hall again. Robin followed him until they arrived in front of a large metal door on one of the lower floors. Ansem slid an I.D. card through a panel on the wall, opening the door with a quiet swish. The doorway opened up to a brightly lit tunnel, leading to a large, open chamber. Ansem strode right through the tunnel, into the chamber. There were several tables pushed against the walls and huge charts pinned to the walls. The center of the room contained what looked like an empty door frame, with large cables and wires attached to the sides. On one of the tables was a small silver case that Ansem quickly picked up and tossed to Robin. She barely caught it and looked up in confusion at Ansem.   
"Those are some new clothes. They were specially crafted to defend you against the darkness." Robin looked at the case.  
"Well dang, that woulda been nice to have years ago." She looked around the room before nodding towards the door frame.  
"This is what you are using to make the portal, right?" Ansem looked at her in appreciation. She had begun moving around the frame, examining the wiring.   
"You caught on quickly." Robin gave him a bitter smile.  
"Growing up around scientist will do that to you." He shook his head and turned back to the cables in front of him while Robin disappeared to change in one of the rooms in the tunnel. With a final switch, a dark, flickering portal appeared in the door frame. Robin stepped up to his side in her new clothes. She was wearing a short, white jumpsuit with a turtleneck and no sleeves and a red belt. A red x was stitched across her chest, and she wore red and black high top shoes. To top it off, she had tied the red ribbon from Lea into her hair. Her long white bangs were still hanging in front of her left eye, but the ribbon held back most of her unruly fringe. Ansem smiled when he saw her step forward confidently. He reached behind him to a table, pulling our a large trench coat.  
"Here, you may need this on some of the worlds you visit." Robin pulled the coat on as Ansem pulled out another small silver box.  
"I have one more thing for you." He opened the box and pulled out two silver cuffs with a red trim and a tiny screen surrounded by buttons on one side.   
"I will be able to moniter your location with these cuffs. They will alert me if you are in danger and allow me to speak with you if you are ever in need." Robin took the cuffs and slid them up her wrists. She stepped up to the rippling portal with an excited smile. Ansem smiled back at her.  
"One last thing," He took her wrists, unclasping the magic suppressors from her wrists. The moment they were removed, a slight shock wave of blue magic rippled out around her.   
"Now you can use your abilities freely." Robin grinned as her magic flashed around her.  
"Listen. I still think you are insane, but I really appreciate everything that you have done for me." She held her hand out to Ansem, who shook it firmly.  
"I'm glad that I was able to help someone." She looked at him curiously.  
"I feel like there is some big, dramatic story behind that. But to be honest, I'm still a little to angry to ask." Ansem laughed loudly, startling Robin. She looked at him strangely.  
"Okay then, I think that moment is dead." She turned towards the portal, thoroughly freaked out. Ansem called out to her just before she stepped through the gateway.  
"Robin, only you are capable of completing this mission. You just have to follow your heart, and you will find your way back to your friends."   
Robin couldn't help but roll her eyes, but when she crossed through the portal, she did it with a smile on her face.


	9. Remind Me, Why Was This a Good Idea?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are finally starting on our lost worlds! Brace yourself for some minor name confusion, and some utter speculation on my part! I had to split this chapter into two parts, but I should be able to finish it all up by the end of this week!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I don't know if this story really has any dedicated readers, but if it does I apologize for the long hiatus! My summer was a bit insane with work and some family drama. But we are officially back and ready to finally post our theories! Thank you to anyone reading this and I hope you enjoy the story!

If Robin had been expecting a graceful entry into the new world, she would have been sadly disappointed. Rather than a smooth transition from one plane to the other, Robin found herself appearing ten feet above the ground. She didn't even have time to scream before she was hitting the ground, falling flat on her back. For a moment all she could do was stare up at the blue sky above her. "Great", she thought, " I've been here for five seconds and I'm already getting beaten up." She lurched to her feet with a dramatic groan.  
"Uhg, this is why you should never listen to a scientist. They are full of crap." Robin was not prepared for the light chuckle that came from directly behind her. Instantly she jolted into the air while simultaneously trying to turn to glimpse whoever was behind her. Unexpectedly, this ended with Robin tripping over a rock and flopping backwards again.   
The laugh sounded again, this time directly in front of where Robin was sprawled in the grass. She sat up, finally getting a look at the laughing stranger. What she saw had her frozen in shock for almost a full minute. A large red fox, dressed in green was practically doubled over, laughing brightly at the small girl before him.  
"Uhhh....", the fox looked down at her with a smile, "Please tell me this is a hallucination?" A look of confusion flashed across the fox's face, but it responded with a smile.  
"I can't say I really understand your question, but I assure you, I am 100% real." To his surprise, the girl smiled slightly and shook her head.   
"Well, I guess this is not the weirdest thing that could have happened." The fox chuckled again and extended a furry hand toward her. Robin took it and let herself be pulled to her feet. Now she finally got a look at her surroundings. They were standing in a grassy clearing beside a bright river surrounded by towering trees. It was then that Robin realized that the fox was not the only animal in the clearing with her. She stepped back cautiously, eyes on the small crowd of creatures before her. The fox seemed to notice her reaction and held out a hand.  
"How rude of me, I haven't even introduced myself! I am Robin Hood, and these are my Merry Men of Sherwood." The creatures behind the fox smiled and waved. Robin sheepishly waved back before returning the handshake.  
"My name is also Robin. Sorry for my reaction, I'm not really from around here." When the fox had heard her name he practically beamed with excitement.  
"Another Robin! What a day! You simply must join our crew for a bit!" Robin thought for a moment. If she was being completely honest, she had no idea what to do here. Everything seemed perfectly fine, so why was the world lost in darkness? She sighed, brushing the bangs out of her eyes. She wouldn't learn anything just standing here, so she may as well follow the "Merry Men". Finally she smiled again.  
"Guess I don't have any other plans. I'd be glad to join you!" The Merry men cheered and led her deeper into the forest.  
After an hour, Robin knew she had been nervous for no reason. The Merry men had led her to a large clearing filled with green wearing animals. All of them were extremely welcoming and seemed content living in the woods. Robin Hood had introduced her to a large, friendly bear called Little John and a small monk named Friar Tuck. She had instantly taken to Little John and his calming personality. Which brings us to the current events. Most of the men had turned in for the night; leaving just Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marianne, and a chicken named Lady Kluck sitting around the fire with Robin. The sky was so dark that the stars stood out like glittering diamonds. Robin Hood was the one to break the peaceful silence.  
“So Robin, what brings you to Sherwood?” The other animals looked at her curiously.  
“Well, I guess I’m sorta on a mission.” At that, Robin Hood sat up excitedly.  
“A mission? What fun! If you need any assistance, you need only ask.” Robin smiled and shook her head slightly. “That’s kind of you to offer, but right now I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do.”   
“So Robin," the girl met his eyes across the fire. He seemed oddly excited, maybe even a bit nervous. "Would you be interested in joining us on an outing tomorrow?" Robin looked a bit suspiciously at the other faces in the circle. Maid Marianne and Friar Tuck were fidgeting excitedly. Only Little John seemed calm, as he waited for her response.  
"Uh, I guess that depends on what you have planned?" Robin Hood grinned.  
"Have you heard much about this area little one?" Now Robin was even more confused.   
"No, this is my first time ever being in this area. Why? is there something I should know?" Robin Hood chuckled and settled back on his log.  
"Now this is going to be a long story, I suggest you get comfortable." Robin sat forward excitedly, completely focused on the words coming from the fox before her.  
"This land used to have a kind, and wise ruler. King Richard kept our land prosperous and safe. But two years ago, war came to our borders. King Richard led the charge against strange dark creatures attacking our villages." The fire died down slightly as he spoke, basking Robin Hood's face in shadow.  
"The king never returned from battle, so his younger brother, Prince John, took the throne." When Robin Hood spoke the name, his face curled up like he smelled something rotten. Beside Robin, Little John growled.  
"That lousy little ankle biter!" Robin looked at John in surprise. This was the first time she had seen him lose his temper. The large bear had his fists clenched tightly, and his eyes were flashing with anger.  
"He continues to force unfair taxes on his people; stuffing his coffers as his people starve! That man is to absorbed with his own greed to ever see beyond his own reflection." Robin Hood nodded seriously.  
"Indeed my friend. While Prince John flaunts his wealth, our kingdom is slowly dying out. This forest is a haven against the Prince and his Sheriff, as well as the shadow creatures." Robin frowned in thought.  
"These shadow creatures... what do they look like?" Robin Hood met her eyes.  
"Have you heard of them before?" She nodded slowly.  
"The place where I used to live, they studied something called the Heartless. They are drawn to the light inside of a person's heart and feed off of it. If you have Heartless here, your Prince must have fallen to the darkness." Robin Hood let out a dark chuckle.  
"That would explain why his castle is swarmed with these Heartless. They seem to thrive in the shadows around his palace." Robin nodded. "That sounds about right."  
Silence stretched for almost a minute as everyone considered what had just been said. This Prince John must be the one who was trapping this world in the darkness; but Robin still had no idea how to get rid of the Heartless. Robin Hood cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to him.  
"Tomorrow, we plan on intercepting on of Prince John's caravans. We could use all the help we can get." Robin held his gaze steadily. If she went along with them, she would be able to see the problem first-hand.   
"Hmm, a little chaos sounds exactly like what this Prince needs." A mischievous grin crept across her face. "I'll go with you guys!" Robin Hood and Little John let out booming laughs and clapped her on her shoulder.  
"Now that's the spirit! Get some rest, tomorrow we ruin a Prince's day!"   
The sun had only just risen when the Merry Men set out for the main road. Robin walked alongside Little John, only a few feet after Robin Hood. The fox seemed to be in an especially good mood today, loudly encouraging his men and singing happily as he marched over the rough terrain. Robin was more than happy to let the Merry men do the talking around her. Everyone was boisterously recalling funny stories and teasing their friends. After some time, Robin lost herself in her thoughts. Ventus had told her once that only a keyblade could destroy the Heartless. But she still hadn't managed to summon one of her own, so she would have to depend on her space manipulation abilities. After so long of having her abilities restrained, Robin barely even knew what she was capable of. Last night, she had figured out a way to make objects disappear and reappear when she needed them; and she knew she could create "wormholes" to basically teleport, but it had been so long since she had last made one that she wasn't sure she could control the portal very well. She let out a heavily sigh, shoulders slumping. Little John looked at her in concern.  
"Hey there Robs, don't worry so much!" Her silver eyes looked at him questioningly.  
"But I don't know how much of a help I'll even be here. I've never done anything like this before, I don't even know how to use a weapon!" John pat her back.  
"With luck, we will all be out of there before that overgrown toddler even realizes he's been robbed! and if it comes to a fight, any one of us would gladly defend you." Robin blushed. Little John spoke in such a serious voice that Robin couldn't help but believe him.  
"But why?" John actually seemed confused by her question.  
"Why what?" Robin groaned and stomped her foot a bit.  
"Why would any of you help me? I literally appeared out of nowhere yesterday, but you would still go out of your way to defend me!" Robin Hood surprised her by responding first.  
"Come now, little one. A true friend never leaves a pal behind. We may have just met you, but you are one of us now. You always have a place in Sherwood with us." His response almost made her tear up.  
"R-really?" Robin Hood chuckled and easily swung her onto his shoulders.  
"Of course little one! Now what do you say, ready to bring about some well-deserved karma?" Robin grinned brightly and laughed.   
"Let's do this!"   
When Robin Hood had asked if Robin was ready, he meant that in an immediate sense. The Merry Men had only just taken their positions, hidden along the treeline, when loud trumpets rang out. An elaborate caravan, complete with three gold plated carriages and a train of soldiers wound its way down the road. Robin Hood and Little John had at some point slipped into dramatic gypsy costumes and began calling out for the caravan to stop. Robin almost laughed as she saw the Prince eagerly call for the gypsys to read his fortune. Robin Hood disappeared into a carriage with a sly wink. As soon as he had vanished from sight, Little John suddenly flopped over dramatically. The guards rushed forward in alarm as John continued to dramatically roll around and call for help. With the guards distracted, Robin and a small band of the Merry Men slipped under the carriages. How prideful must this Prince be, to travel with a small fortune while his people starve, Robin thought bitterly. The Merry men worked quickly and quietly, drilling holes underneath the carriages and filling their bags with the falling gold. Everything was going exactly as Robin Hood had predicted; or at least it had been, until a hooded stranger dropped from the sky.   
Robin himself, was just exiting the royal carriage while John had “recovered” from his fainting fit. The Prince stood, waving stupidly as the “gypsys” moved towards the side of the road. The rest of the band was struggling to move the bags out of sight unnoticed. Robin’s group had almost made it to the treeline, when a blinding light appeared directly above her. She looked up in shock, only to see a stranger in a black hood tumble from the light, landing on top of the group of thieves. The Stranger sat up with a dramatic groan, oblivious to the animals frozen around him, or the pile of gold he was currently sitting in. For just a moment, everyone was frozen in shock. Robin felt her eyes widen as she made eye contact with Robin Hood and Little John. Both of them stared back at her, John with worry and surprise, Robin Hood a mix of shock and amusement. Suddenly the Prince seemed to snap out of his shock.  
“THIEVES! Catch them! Go you idiots, don’t let them escape!”   
As he spoke, dark portals opened up around him, releasing strange shadowy figures into the light. Adrenaline finally kicked in, Robin grabbed the stranger’s arm, pulling them to their feet.   
“Come on guys, grab what you can and go!” The Merry Men followed her into the trees, reuniting with Robin and Little John.  
“Hey, this might be a bad time, but can someone please explain what is going on here?” Robin shot a glare over her shoulder. She couldn’t see the figure beneath the hood, but they sounded male.   
“What happened, is you blew our cover! We were so close to escaping unnoticed!” Beside her, Robin Hood laughed.  
“I knew things were going too well, but at least everyone made it to the forest.” An arrow suddenly whipped over his head, barely missing his cheek. Robin cursed lightly as she ducked another incoming arrow, still dragging the cloaked figure by his wrist.   
“Yo, little ghost girl, I am fully capable of running on my own.” Robin almost tripped when those words left his mouth. She practically hurled his wrist away from her, turning halfway to fix a glare on him.   
“What did you just call me?” The stranger slowed slightly, scratching at his neck.   
“Uhm, ghost girl?” Robin cringed at the words. Only Even had ever called her that. Hearing it from someone outside of the lab sent chills creeping all over her. Her glare turned icy.  
“If you value your fingers, I would suggest never calling me that again. The group had rushed further into the woods. The tree’s were thicker, and on one side, a narrow cliff extended into a shallow ravine. Most of the group had pulled ahead of the Robin and the stranger as they dashed along the cliff. The stranger seemed confused. He stopped completely, facing Robin with his head cocked to the side slightly. She whirled around to face him.   
“Are you crazy? Do you want to get caught? Keep running!” The dark figure seemed to be studying her, not saying anything. Now Robin was really getting angry.  
“Come on! We’ll lose the group, we have to go!” Out of the corner of her eye, Robin saw a shadowy streak zip past them. She spun with a gasp. It wasn’t a Heartless. This creature was something different. She had only seen a few of the varieties of Heartless back at the lab, but this new horror definitely didn’t have the Heartless symbol anywhere on it’s form. Robin backed towards the cliff wall cautiously. The dark figure shuffled forward slowly. A ragged hood hid its face, but sharp claws slipped out from underneath the draping sleeves. A low growl rumbled out from beneath the hood and odd tendrils of shadows seemed to crawl off of it. Robin felt herself crouch defensively, carefully eyeing the beast, waiting for it to spring. The monster growled again, lunging forward with claws extended. It smashed into a wall. Both the monster and the hooded stranger yelped a bit in shock, turning almost simultaneously towards Robin. The girl’s eyes practically glowed with power. For once, her long bangs were blown out of her eyes and the mysterious blue runes circled around her arm and fingers. She extended her left palm, and the wall smashed into the creature, forcing it to the edge of the cliff. The monster shriek and tried to dig its claws into the ground to stop itself. Robin grit her teeth, forcing the wall forward against the monster. The beast snarled and sharp teeth snapped underneath the ragged hood. Finally, the monster let out one last shriek as the bank of the cliff gave away, dropping the beast into the ravine beneath them. Robin sighed in relief and collapsed against the cliff wall. The stranger caught her arm before she could fall.  
“Whoa there ghost girl, careful!” Robin glared and ripped her arm away.  
“I told you not to call me that.” The stranger groaned and pulled back.  
“Fine, but you didn’t exactly tell me your name.” Robin kept a glare fixed on him.  
“My name is Robin.” The stranger places his hands on his hips.  
“Thank you! Now we are making some progress!” Robin waits a moment, but the stranger never introduces himself. She sighed and rubbed a hand across her face.  
“Well? Are you going to say your name?” The stranger jolted.  
“Oh, uh… You can just call me the Master of Masters!” the “Master” raised his hands excitedly, but that excitement died as soon as he turned and saw Robin’s face. To say she looked fed up would be an understatement. Robin looked completely and utterly dead inside as she stared silently up at the man above her.   
“Yeah...I am definitely not calling you that. Ever.” The man chuckled nervously.  
“Hehe… well, thats what what everyone calls me.” Robin straightened and started walking away.  
“If you wont tell me your real name, I’m going to have to make one up for you.” the man laughed.  
“Huh, you already giving me a nickname?” A wall suddenly slammed into the man’s face. He flopped back with a slight yelp.  
“Okay, fine, I see your point!” Robin looked back at him. The man was rubbing his face underneath his hood.  
“I really can’t tell you my real name, so you can just call me the Master.” Robin scoffed.  
“Master of what? You didn’t even help me fight off that monster back there. I’ll just make up a name for you.” The “Master” chuckled as he rose to his feet.  
“Alrighty then, Birdy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, I don't know if anyone would be interested in this, but I was thinking about setting up an Instagram or Tumblr account to display some of my characters. I haven't actually made any accounts yet, but if anyone is interested, please let me know so I can make that happen! Thanks for reading!


	10. Remind Me, Why Was This a Good Idea? (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright, we are finishing up the Sherwood Forest trope this week! Sorry if the Master of Masters seems a bit out of character, I honestly don't even know how to write him. Anyway, please enjoy, and feel free to contact me with any questions or complaints about the story!

It turned out that the Merry Men had gotten much farther than Robin had thought. She and the newest pain in her neck had been wandering through the forest for almost an hour before they stumbled into the clearing Robin had first appeared in.  
"Hey! I've been here before! I know where we are now!" The (still unnamed) man cheered blandly.  
"I would be excited if you hadn't already said that an hour ago." Robin shot a glare at him.  
"Well if someone hadn't made me lose the group, we wouldn't even be in this situation." The hooded man winced slightly.  
"Alright, point taken. But can you really blame me for being confused?" He carefully watched Robin move through the forest ahead of him. Her stride paused for a moment, and she seemed to be thinking hard.  
"Speaking of that, where are you really from?" The Master hadn't been expecting that. He stumbled slightly before catching himself.  
"What do you mean? How do you know I'm not from around here?" Robin shot an exasperated look over her shoulder.  
"Oh, where to start?" She turned with her hands on her hips. "First off, you don't exactly look like a giant animal like the rest of these people." The man scratched the back of his head awkwardly, but Robin wasn't done.   
"Second, I'm not an idiot. I saw the portal you feel through, and you clearly don't know this area, so I can only assume you are from a different world as well." Beneath his hood, the Master felt himself start to grin. This girl might be more fun than he had first thought. The Master put his own hands on his hips and leaned forward.  
"Alright, let me ask you a question then." Robin frowned slightly, but didn't speak. Instead she just crossed her arms and settled back on her heels.  
"Fine, but then you have to answer my question, Marcus." The Master actually laughed a bit at that.  
"Pfft, Marcus?" Robin frowned in thought.  
"Yeah, I'm not sure about that one to be honest. I just figured I had to call you something." The Master waved his arms.  
"Off topic, but okay. Now, you seem to know a lot about more than you should. What world are you really from, and why are you here?" The girls gaze darkened for a second, but then a playful smile quickly appeared.  
"Huh, that's basically what I asked you, so I think I deserve an answer first." 'Marcus' threw his hands up in the air.  
"Fine, fine, I am from a place called Daybreak Town. I'm looking for something, but sadly I need to go through all of these 'Lost' worlds to find it." Silver eyes narrowed as Robin took in what he had just said.  
"Okay, I can believe that." He chuckled. "I came from a place called Radiant Gardens. I was sent here to help the lost worlds re-link to the other worlds." The man nodded.  
"Ambitious. I wish you luck." He turned and started to walk away. For a moment Robin just stared in shock.  
"Hey! Wait, where are you going?" He simply raised a hand, not looking back.  
“Well I don’t see why I should help you try and be a hero here. Honestly it sounds like a lot of work to me.” Robin rushed forward, tugging on his wrist.  
“But-Wait! Don’t you have to go through the worlds too? I could help you look for whatever it is your searching for.” The Master looked down at her suspiciously.  
“And why would you do that?” Robin ducked her head.  
“Well… I don’t really like being by myself.” She raised her head again. “And since you have to be here too, we may as well travel together.” She waited anxiously for him to respond. For some agonizingly long moments he was silent; but then Robin noticed his shoulders shaking.  
“Are… are you laughing?” She smacked his shoulder and huffed angrily.  
“You Jerk! I was being totally serious!” She stomped off, towards the main camp site.  
“Wa-wait! I’m not teasing you!” Robin turned with a frown.  
“Uh-huh. And that's why your laughing, right?” Marcus straightened up.  
“I’m sorry, that was just the most gullible thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” Her scowl darkened.  
“I mean, uh…” The Master sighed, sticking out a gloved hand.  
“I would be honored to travel with you.” Her expression still seemed guarded, but she shook his hand.   
“And I promise I will try not to annoy you too much!”

************************************************

The walk back to camp made Robin really regret asking the Master to travel with her. The whole journey back, he was skipping and humming irritatingly. Or even worse, he blabbered non-stop about literally anything that crossed his mind.   
“Ya know, I think if I had to pick a favorite color it would have to be red. Oh! Or maybe blue? NO! I got it! My favorite color is rainbow! Because- wow, did you see that bird? I think it was a Robin, just like you!” 

He threw his arm around Robin’s shoulder. She grit her teeth, eye twitching in irritation as the man continued to word vomit.  
“...and don’t even get me started on favorite animal! I mean, every species is just so cool, how can you pick one?” Finally, the last of her patience snapped. Robin whirled around to glare at Marcus.

“Who the heck are you talking to? I have spent the past ten minutes ignoring you, and yet you won't shut up!” the Master seemed to be smirking.  
“Ah, and there you are! I just wanted to see how long it took before you snapped.” A literal growl escaped her throat. Robin had just opened her mouth to yell at him, when she heard her name being called.

“Robin! You managed to escape!” She looked up to see a huge fuzzy form crash into her.  
“Hey! John, I can’t breath!” a laugh rumbled out from the bear.  
“We are never letting you out of our sights again. You had the whole camp in a tizzy, looking for ya.” 

Guilt came crashing down on Robin. She ducked her head and kicked at the dirt.  
“Sorry about that John, we just got a little turned around.” 

The bear laughed again and hoisted Robin up onto his shoulders.  
“Aw, don’t worry Robs. We’re just glad you made it back!” Little John turned towards the Master.  
“That goes to you as well. I am Little John, and I’m glad you managed to escape as well.” 

The man seemed stunned at those simple words. Robin narrowed her eyes slightly. The man was still a mystery to her, but he seemed unused to people actually thinking of him. He called himself the Master of Masters, so it had probably been a while since someone had been looking out for him.

After a startled pause, the man seemed to gain his confidence again. He struck a ridiculous pose.  
“Of course we’re alright! Those guys were too weak to really put up a fight anyway!” Robin snorted.  
“Uh-huh, and that's why you practically hid behind me when that thing jumped out at us.” He flailed his arms.  
“Wow, it’s not my fault you wanted to play hero back there.” Robin stuck out her tongue.  
“Well I didn’t exactly see you trying to fight back!”

A cheerful chuckle startled them out of their bickering. Both turned to look at Little John.  
“You two must be pretty good friends now, I guess.”   
“Huh?” the two asked in perfect synchronization. Robin shot a quick glare at the Master before facing John again.  
“What do you mean? We just met.” John laughed again, shaking his head.

“You two act like you’ve known each other for years. That means you must be good friends.” Robin thought about that.  
“Well… I guess I don’t hate him. We could be friends.” He placed his hands over his heart dramatically.  
“Oh Robin, I’m so touched! I don’t hate you as well!” Robin kicked at him. He easily ducked away, laughing.  
“Come on! I was being serious!” 

*****************************************************

Turns out, Robin Hood had not been idle while waiting on the two stragglers. The moment they entered the camp Robin Hood had called them towards him. He was surrounded by a circle of smaller animals. A family of rabbits and a small turtle were sitting anxiously on stumps around Robin. He was looking down at a large map, squinting at particular areas.

“Hurry my friends, we have much to plan.” Robin stood behind him, studying the map. It showed the town of Nottingham, with the castle and it’s grounds magnified off to the side. She noticed several entry points to the castle were circled and notes were scrawled in the corners.

“Is this…?” Robin Hood nodded excitedly.  
“Yup! We are going after the source entirely.” Marcus cocked his head in confusion.  
“Whoa, can we back up for a moment here?” Robin shook his head slightly.  
“Oh, forgive me. I am Robin Hood, leader of the Merry Men of Sherwood. Our goal is to take from the rich and give back to the poor.

The hooded figure nodded approvingly.   
“Now that is a cause I can get behind.” Robin shook her head.  
“That all very touching, but we would practically be walking right into a trap.” The animals looked towards her curiously.

“Prince John seems to be able to summon those shadow monsters based on his emotions. I have never seen anything like it before, those monsters are definitely tougher than the Heartless, and none of us have a weapon that could really work against them.” Marcus laughed beside her.

“Please, you handled those things pretty well with your…” he wiggled his fingers at her, “freaky space magic.” Robin slapped his fingers away.  
“Come on, this is serious!” She looked back at the group. “Our only chance would be to sneak in at night and pray John is sleeping. If he wakes up, we would be swarmed by those creatures.”

Robin Hood clapped a hand over her shoulder.  
“I suppose that just means we have to move quickly.”  
Robin blew out an exasperated breath. Of course she was going on the mission, but it would help if her friends could take this seriously.

Her hooded friend nudged her in the side. She glared over at him. Suddenly he reached for her face, squishing her mouth into a smile. 

“Lighten up birdy! We got this handled!” 

Robin felt a smile creep onto her face despite herself. She pushed the hands away from her face.

“Excuse me for trying to keep us all alive.” He gasped in fake offense.

“Unbelievable. Are you questioning my superior fighting abilities?” Robin shrugged carelessly.  
“You said it, not me.” 

She turned back to Robin Hood, who had a slightly baffled smile on his face.

“Okay Robin Hood, I’m in.” 

******************************************************************

It was honestly shocking how quickly Robin was eating her words. Not even three hours after their planning meeting, the heist was in action. 

Sneaking into the castle grounds was almost laughably easy. Slipping around the drowsy guards was even more so. In fact, the mission was going suspiciously easy, until the Prince’s lousy assistant, Sir Hiss, woke up. 

The snake rose out of his basket, eyes snapping open in suspicion. It was not the best situation to be discovered in. 

The Master was halfway out of the window, a heavy bag of gold hung over his shoulder. Robin Hood was already on the ground with the rest of the men, waiting for the final bags. Robin herself turned to face the snake. 

For a moment, neither of them moved. They simply stared at each other in total shock. Just as Sir. Hiss opened his mouth to shout, Robin grabbed him by the throat. In panic, she opened up a pocket dimension and dropped him inside, hissing all the way. 

She turned with wide eyes to her partner in crime. He stared right back.  
“Well that's one way to get rid of a witness.”

Robin could practically hear the smirk in his voice.   
“Let's just get out of here.”

That was when she made her big mistake. As Robin walked towards her friend, she missed the shadowy figure rising up behind her. The Master jolted towards her as the creature raised its razor sharp claws.

She turned around in shock. Pulling up a space barrier just in time. The claws rebounded off the barrier and the creature stumbled backwards, growling lowly. 

From his bed, the prince twitched. His eyes slowly opened to the disturbing scene before him.

“THIEVES!!!!” The shadows rippled around him, opening to allow more monsters to pour into the room.

“Get them my Wraiths!” 

Robin yelped, almost shoving the hooded man out the window to escape quicker. Both of them slid smoothly down the rope bridge, bringing them to the rest of the group.

Robin Hood caught them with wide eyes.  
“What is it? What happened?” 

Robin pushed him forward, adrenaline surging through her arms.   
“Come on! We gotta get out of here!” 

Wordlessly, the group turned and sprinted towards the gates. The startled guards yelped, stumbling to chase after the Merry Men. Robin could spot the shadows warping and rushing around her as the Wraiths joined the chase.

The Merry Men scrambled through the gate, but before Robin and the Master could join then, a wraith snagged the edge of her jacket, yanking her towards the frantic mob behind them. 

The Master skid to a stop just before the gate. He was a bit annoyed to be honest. You would be too, if you had gotten yourself trapped in abandoned worlds to search for some weird power that you didn’t even understand. He would have preferred to search alone, but he was still curious about the little girl’s powers. 

So now here he stood, stranded between a chance to escape and his own curiosity. He watched closely as Robin was dragged closer to the mob. More Wraiths were streaking out of the shadows towards her, and the Prince himself was stumbling towards the gate. 

Robin struggled against the tight grip the Wraith held on her, but nothing worked. In her panic, she almost didn’t notice the blue runes circling her arms again. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a smaller Wraith take a leap towards her. Without even thinking, she raised her hands. A portal opened directly in front of the Wraith, dropping it right on top of the Prince. 

She twisted viciously, finally freeing herself from the Wraith’s hold on her. In an instant, she was crouched, pushing a barrier out around her. The mob was forced backwards, away from the gateway.

Behind her, the Master finally made his decision. He tossed his bag of loot through the gate, and stepped up to Robin’s side.   
She was totally focused on maintaining the barrier before her. He could just make out her arms beginning to shake as the Wraiths battled against the invisible wall. 

He gently touched her shoulder, making her glance towards him.  
“This is a nice wall you’ve got, but your just exhausting yourself. Let down the barrier, and get ready to fight.” 

“But, I don’t have a weapon.” The Master looked at her curiously.  
“Where is your keyblade?” Robin grit her teeth as the wall shuddered.  
“I still can’t form it-Wait, how do you know about the keyblade?” 

He ignored her, summoning his own blade. His sword was very different from Ven’s. The metal was darker, with a spiked hilt, and a blue eye engraved within the point of the sword. As soon as the sword was formed, the air seemed to crackle with energy.

The man turned towards Robin.  
“Well then, I guess you better figure it out fast.” 

Robin gaped at him as he charged directly into the screaming mob of darkness. She dropped her hands, letting the barrier fall.

She watched as the Master swirled through the ranks of wraith. Magic buzzed through the air, dropping countless Wraith before they could even dodge. The Master himself, moved like a hurricane. Spinning deftly around the wraith, cutting down multiple with every swing. 

But it wasn’t enough. From the back of the crowd, the Prince was just creating more and more wraith, until every shadow seemed to be alive with the dark figures. 

In that moment, everything clicked. The darkness within the Prince was the reason this world was swallowed by evil. To free the world, Robin needed to release the darkness. 

She summoned a small platform beside her. Leaping off of it, she soared above the battle towards the Prince. 

When she landed, feet away from Prince John, he yelped.

“Who do you think you are? You have no right to come here and ruin my fun!” Robin almost laughed at that.“You dragged an entire world into the darkness, and you still think I am at fault here?” Prince John stomped his feet and wailed.

“It’s no fair, it’s no fair, it’s no fair!”   
The wraiths seemed to react to his tantrum. The crowd turned away from the Master. Then they all seemed to melt into each other.Robin backed away, watching the shadows in horror as they shifted into a giant figure. The Master raced to her side as the shadows solidified into a terrifying form. 

It had piercing yellow eyes, and shadowed spikes erupted from it’s shoulders and arms. Darkness seemed to cling to it, almost dripping off of it’s arms like a tangible form. The monstrosity let out an echoing roar. The tendrils of darkness shot straight towards Robin and the Master. From behind the beast, Prince John laughed hysterically. 

Robin twisted to avoid the offending darkness, while her partner simply slashed them aside. She waved her hands towards him.  
“Listen! If we can take down this beast, I think we can use your blade to reconnect this world!”   
He spun, knocking away multiple strands of darkness. 

From beneath his hood, Robin had the strangest feeling that he was making a face at her.  
“That’s easier said than done birdy.” Both continued to dance around, evading the dark tendrils.

“Come on! This is our only shot!” The Master turned partially towards her. “You get in close, I will cover you with my barriers.”

Her battle partner let out a dramatic sigh.  
“You know this plan is crazy, right?” Robin stared back at him with a slight smirk.  
“If it wasn’t crazy, I would be less confident that it would work.”   
A little chuckle escaped from the hood.  
“I think I might be having a bad influence you.”

He turned back towards the mega-wraith, dodging claws and shadowy whips to get closer. As soon as he began moving, Robin activated her powers. She lept off one of her platforms, flipping past the grabbing shadows. Almost instinctively, she was ducking, blocking, and even locking the tendrils in her pocket dimension. The beast roared, swinging viciously with its razor sharp claws. 

The Master sprinted towards the monster, summoning wind, thunder, fire, and ice in a swirling maelstrom of power. His spells raced upwards, slamming the creature in the face. 

It stumbled backwards, roaring angrily. Robin appeared above the best, slamming down on its face before flipping off and appearing elsewhere. The two were practically just blurs as they took turns exchanging blows to the wounded shadow beast. 

With a final blast of powerful lightning, the beast crumpled onto its side. The clearing seemed to freeze as the monster began to evaporate. Bits of shadows broke off the monster, floating towards the sky.

The Master let out a relieved sigh and let his keyblade disappear. He was just turning to Robin when he was her face change. Her eyes landed on something just behind him, horror filling her face. He barely had time to twist and see the one remaining wraith stretching claws towards his face. Before he could even summon his keyblade again, he was being shoved behind Robin and a loud clang rang out through the courtyard. 

His eyes widened in shock. Robin’s eyes were scrunched shut tightly, her hands clutching a beautiful keyblade, holding the wraith back. Her keyblade shown with a bronze glow, with hints of red at the hilt and the point. A long red ribbon hung off of the hilt, falling past her wrists. 

He watched in shock, as her eyes slowly opened. They locked onto the blade and then to the shrieking monster beyond it. Robin grit her teeth, strengthening her stance, and then she shoved against the monster. It stumbled backwards, barely standing up straight before Robin cut through the shadows with her blade. 

The final monster disappeared with a parting shriek, leaving Robin and the Master alone in the courtyard with the Prince. 

Robin turned towards the Prince, but before she could step towards him, her keyblade began to glow.   
“Huh?” she turned to the hooded figure beside her. “What is it doing?” 

Before he could answer, a giant golden keyhole shimmered into existence. Instinctively, Robin pointed the tip of her blade at the heart of the keyhole. 

A glowing white circle of runes circled the ground around her as a blast of blinding light hit the center of the keyhole. As the keyhole began to disappear, the sky seemed to lighten, and the world itself seemed to sigh in relief. 

Robin turned back to the Master with a bewildered look on her face.

“Ok… what the flip just happened?


End file.
